Insertable closures for containers



May 18, 1965 A. JUTZI INSERTABLE CLOSURES FOR CONTAINERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 6, 1962 INVENTOR. ALBRECHT JUTZI BY W his A TTORNEYS May 18, 1965 A. JUTZI 3,184,125

INSERTABLE CLOSURES FOR CONTAINERS Filed April 6, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 If] H f i u 25 IHII/I' l I [TIk I24 25 29 Ill 27 1 VIIIIIIII4 4mlllllllmud INVENTOR. ALBRECHT JUTZI his ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,184,125 INSERTABLE CLOSURES FQR CBNTAINERS Albrecht .Iutzi, Zurich, Switzerland, assignor to Lever Brothers ompany, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Maine Filed Apr. 6, 1962, Ser. No. 185,684 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Apr. 16, 1961, 12,873/61 9 Claims. (Cl. 222-479) The present invention relates to closures for containers and in particular to a combined stopper and pouring spent for containers.

In accordance with the invention a closure or stopper for a bottle or other container is provided which normally seals the container, but has a portion which can be removed to uncover a pouring spout through which the contents of the container can be dispensed.

More particularly, the closure or stopper includes an integral closure top or seal for the pouring spout and an interrupted rim having its upper edge in a plane intersecting the pouring spout and serving as a guide for a cutting tool, such as a knife to facilitate the removal of the closure top or seal and enable the contents of the container to be discharged through the spout.

The spout also may be provided with a shoulder at the inner edge of the seal or closure top and in the plane of the rim to act as an additional guide for the cutting tool when the closure top is being removed.

To further improve the ease of pouring, the top of the pouring spout may be provided with a non-drip lip in register with an interruption or notch in the annular rim, the top surface of the lip lying in a plane defined by the upper edge of the rim. Alternatively, the top surface of the drip lip may be a curved plane whose intersection with the plane defined by the upper edge of the annular edge rim coincides with the intersection of the plane with the external body of the pouring spout.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the plane defined by the upper edge of the annular rim slopes downwardly from the interruption of the annular rim towards the opposite side of the annular rim. This arrangement encourages the selection by the user of a cutting stroke which finishes at the non-drip lip to minimize the chance of damage to the non-drip lip by the cutting tool.

Closures or stoppers of the types embodying the invention may be suitably made from thermoplastic materials by injection molding thereby providing a simplified manufacturing process and substantially reducing the cost of production.

Many other advantages and a fuller understanding of this invention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a stopper embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of the stopper and cap with the cap shown in section;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on line IHIII of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the stopper with the cap and the closure top or seal for the pouring spout removed;

FIGURE 5 is a view in section taken on line V--V of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of a modified form of closure or stopper embodying the invention;

FIGURE 7 is an elevational view of the stopper and cap with the cap shown in section;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken on line VIII-VIII of FIGURE 6;

3,184,125 Patented May 18, 1965 FIGURE 9 is a plan view of the stopper with the cap and the closure top or seal for the pouring spout removed; and

FIGURE 10 is a view in section taken on line X X of FIGURE 9.

A typical stopper or closure embodying the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 and includes a cylindrical wall 1, the lower portion 2 of which is tapered to facilitate insertion of the stopper into the neck of a bottle or other container. The cylindrical wall 1 is provided at its upper end with a flange 3, adapted to rest on the upper edge of the mouth of a bottle. The base 4 of the stopper carries a pouring spout S spaced inwardly from the cylindrical wall it. The upper end of the pouring spout 5 extends beyond the plane of the flange 3. Parallel to the pouring spout 5, a duct or channel 6 is provided for admitting air into the bottle. A portion 7 of the wall of the pouring spout also constitutes the wall of the air duct. The inlet orifice 8 of the air duct lies 11'] the plane of the outlet orifice 9 of the pouring spout, the orifices being sealed by a common closure top or seal ltl molded integrally with the stopper. The exterior side wall it of the closure top it} is slightly recessed relative to the exterior side wall of the pouring spout 5 as well as to the exterior side wall of air duct 6 thus forming an inner shoulder 12, which inner shoulder extends around the assembly formed by the dispensing spout channel 5 and air duct 6. A web 13 connects the wall of the air duct 6 with the body portion 1 of the stopper.

On the upper side of the flange 3 is provided an annular rim 1%, the upper edge 15 of which lies in a plane which coincides with the plane of the inner shoulder 12 and intersects the spout and the air duct just below the closure top or seal It}. A notch 16 is formed in the annular rim 14. A non-drip lip 17 on the pouring spout is in register with the notch 16, and coincides with the plane defined by the upper edge of the rim 14.

When it is desired to dispense the contents of the container, the closure top or seal It] is cut off along the plane AA of FIG. 2 by means, for example, of a knife 13, schematically shown in FIG. 1 in dotted lines. During cutting, the knife is guided by the shoulder 12 and the upper edge of the annular rim 14. In this way the outlet orifice 9 for the contents to be dispensed and an inlet orifice 8 for air are uncovered.

A snap-action cap 19 is provided for reclosing the stopper after the closure top it) has been removed. An internal flange 29 of the cap 19 snaps below an undercut shoulder 21 of the flange 3 so that when the stopper is present in the neck of a bottle, the flange 20 is confined between the shoulder 21 and the upper edge of the mouth of the bottle.

Another embodiment of the stopper or closure of thermoplastic material, shown in FIGS. 610, difiers from the stopper described above in the following respects. An air duct or channel 22 is arranged Within the pouring spout 23. The notched rim 26 around the pouring spout assembly is double-walled and is formed by an extension of the conical wall 27 of the stopper body which extends beyond the flange Z9 and has a reversely turned part 28 united with the flange 29. The upper edge of the rim 26 slopes downwards from the non-drip lip 39 of the spout towards the diametrically opposite side of the annular rim. Strengthening ribs 24- and 25 strengthen and support the spout in the stopper body 27.

When the contents of the bottle are to be dispensed, the closure top 32 is cut oil along the plane BB of FIG. 10 by means, for example, of a knife 31 which is guided by and moved from the lowest portion of the upper edge of the rim 26 to bypass part of the rim during cutting.

Although the invention has been described with reference to typical forms of closures for containers, it is understood that the embodiments described are illustrative and that numerous changes in details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention which is hereafter claimed.

I claim:

1. A closure for a container comprising a stopper insertable into an opening in a container and engaging the walls of the container, 21 spout fixed to and extending from one end of the stopper and forming a passage extending through said stopper to an outer end of said spout for discharging fluid from said container, a duct extending through said stopper adjacent to said passage and having an outer end for admitting air into said container, and severable means united With said spout and duct and sealing the outer end of said passage and said duct.

2. A closure for a container as defined in claim 1 wherein said stopper has a tapered external wall insertable in an opening in a container.

3. A closure for a container as described in claim 1 comprising a non-drip lip on said spout and an inner shoulder on said spout forming a guide for removing said severable means from said spout.

4. A closure for a container as described in claim 1 comprising a rim on said stopper spaced radially from 4 said spout and duct, said rim having an upper edge lying in a plane intersecting said spout adjacent said severable means.

5. A closure for a container as described in claim 4 comprising a shoulder on said spout lying in said plane of said upper edge of said rim.

6. A closure as described in claim 4 comprising a closure gap overlying said spout and duct and releasably engaging said wall about its circumference.

7. A closure as described in claim 4 wherein said upper edge of said rim is in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of said stopper.

8. A closure as described in claim 4 wherein said upper edge of said rim is in a plane inclined with respect to the axis of said stopper.

9. A closure as described in claim 1 wherein said spout is provided with at least one strengthening rib.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,780,396 2/57 Larrabee 222-541 X 2,796,205 6/57 Kuzma 222563 X 2,907,489 10/59 Taylor 222-541 X LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CLOSURE FOR A CONTAINER COMPRISING A STOPPER INSERTABLE INTO AN OPENING IN A CONTAINER AND ENGAGING THE WALLS OF THE CONTAINER, A SPOUT FIXED TO AND EXTENDING FROM ONE END OF THE STOPPER AND FORMING A PASSAGE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID STOPPER TO AN OUTER END OF SAID SPOUT FOR DISCHARGING FLUID FROM SAID CONTAINER, A DUCT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID STOPPER ADJACENT TO SAID PASSAGE AND HAVING AN OUTER END FOR ADMITTING AIR INTO SAID CONTAINER, AND SEVERABLE MEANS UNITED WITH SAID SPOUT AND DUCT AND SEALING THE OUTER END OF SAID PASSAGE AND SAID DUCT. 